There is always momentary hesitation before living your dream becomes your reality. The yin-yang of personal excellence is in mastering both the inner and outer game. The inner game plan begins with "trusting the process." The outer game has a game plan all of it's own that you must let go of, or it can trip you up, if you let it. When I let go of the pressure to win, all fears left me too. There are fears like being ridiculed, falling flat on my face, or hearing unsupportive comments like "you'll never run the Boston Marathon." I used these fears to master my own fate and personal journey. I acquired a winning mindset to excel and as a result, I won. You can achieve this winning mindset too!

Empowered by the book from Dr. Joyce Brother's, "How to Get Whatever You Want Out of Life," I became consumed by the power of taking action over inaction. I took action and spent months training for one moment in time, a figure skating event. Like an Olympic athlete, I was 100% dedicated to my own personal empowerment process.

Optimal Performance States Empower You To Excel! My skating performance was to the theme of Rocky and Chopin Opus 28. Opus 28 was played in "Flashdance" and resembled my ambivalence as depicted by the dancer who picked up an application even when she felt intimidated by the other performers (outer game). "Rocky" was symbolic for the moment in time when hard work paid off and the athlete emerged victoriously. I had a great coach, Fred Caducio, who choreographed the routine to my personality. There were two sides to my personality- balletic grace under pressure and a real go-getting fighter! The training conditioned my mind, body and spirit. It was authentic to both sides of self, the yin-yang balanced and whole.

For the first time in my life, I experienced my optimal performance state, or what others refer to as being-in-the-zone. During the pressure of competition, I landed the difficult Axel-Toeloop jump combination for the first time. That never happened before! The feeling was exhilarating. I could hear the crowd cheer me on. I was fully alive, engaged in the moment as the sensations of my body flowed effortlessly in harmony to the music. I empowered myself to excel that day.

Winning Is NOT the Answer! That day, I had experienced my best performance ever. I received all 1st places from all judges-a clean sweep. I had excelled that day, but it wasn't winning that defined success for me. It wasn't the clean sweep either. It was the fact that I took a step to empower myself and live life on my own terms. The small step of committing myself to the process and believing in it was my key to success. The moment I let go of the outcome-winning--- I empowered myself to arrive fully at living life on my own terms. After that victory, I pursued greater ambitions and trained to compete to succeed at The Boston Marathon. One small step empowers you to build momentum.

So, don't be afraid to take the first step! The key is to let go of the outcome-winning- Letting go of the outcome is the essence of true empowerment. You can win, but you may not excel. Empower yourself to excel by living life on your own terms. Focus on the first small step, then personal achievement inevitably becomes your created reality.

So as you read this, focus on the moment when you last hesitated and ask yourself what's stopping me now? What's stopping you from living life fully today? Get out of your head, get into your heart and put your walking shoes on! Empower yourself to excel by taking the first step today!